In the good old days when the BBC had a camera behind the bowler’s arm at only one end, and Colin Cowdrey played a pleasant cover-drive, Auntie’s technical analysis amounted to the commentator saying ‘super shot.’ No slow-mo, no pitch map, no Manhattan – and no insight from the commentator for aspiring cricketers.

But now there are a lot of international players who are keen to go into TV commentary as soon as they retire, and this competition between them has driven the standard up.

It’s a nice little number too. In bygone times in England most old pros were qualified to do little more than become a coach at a public (private) school. Now they can keep in touch by standing out in the middle before the start of play, catching up with gossip and old mates.

There are now plethora of global TV channels screening cricket

There are so many cricket matches being covered too, on so many different TV channels around the world, that a useful apprenticeship can be had – before the new commentator covers international matches for a major audience.

But there is always room for improvement, whether in cricket or in commentary about the game…

And one such area, if I may venture, is to avoid complete platitude.

Imagine the scene – one that takes place often. The bowler runs in, the batsman edges, and the ball goes through or over the slips for four. Or it is a limited-overs match and no slip has been posted.

‘He’ll take that!’ shouts the commentator. ‘He’s got an edge and he’s really lucky to get four for that. But he’ll take it!’

Of course he will take it! When, in almost 300 years of competitive cricket, has there been a single instance of a batsman edging a four then announcing: ‘Sorry, bad stroke, I won’t take those four runs. Umpire, please have them deleted from the scorebook.’

In the last 300 years has there ever been an instance of a batsman nicking a ball down to third man, refusing to run, and announcing: ‘I say, bowler, that shot wasn’t worthy of a single so I’m not going to run. Go back, partner! I won’t take it.’

If I’m not mistaken, this has never happened in recorded history. So please could commentators spare us the blindingly obvious and refrain from saying of the batsman: ‘he’ll take that.’

Channel 4 were first to use tools such as Hawk-Eye which has enhanced insight

Another area for improvement is when again the batsman nicks the ball, the camera switches to the bowler and the commentator says: ‘he won’t mind that.’ Dale Steyn’s eyes have dilated so furiously they are bigger than the ball, he is on the verge of going absolutely ape-s***, and the commentator blithely asserts: ‘he won’t mind that.’

Ok, you can see the commentator’s point. He means that Steyn is beating the bat, or making the batsman play false strokes, and therefore the bowler knows he is due a wicket soon. But this current vogue phrase does not quite fit the picture on the screen.

Finally, more seriously, the treatment of India’s captain MS Dhoni. He deserves all the praise he gets as a finisher in 50-over and 20-over cricket: has there ever been anyone cooler and better at playing himself in then taking death bowlers apart? He must be featuring regularly in Jade Dernbach’s sleep.

But when Dhoni was keeping wicket in the first ODI against England in Rajkot, and a ball was edged past him, not a word of criticism was breathed. Dhoni had only to stick out his right hand, he didn’t have to move a foot, but no….India’s captain is sacrosanct, above criticism, because the Indian board appoints and pays the commentators for their home matches.